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Cuban Navy sends aid to Isla de la Juventud

The Saturno motor vessel of the Cuban Revolutionary Navy, is expected to arrive in Isla de la Juventud on Thursday loaded with materials for the reestablishment of the communications and energy systems in this area, devastated by hurricane Gustav.
The ship set sail on Tuesday from the Haiphong terminal of Havana’s port carrying four containers with power generators, communications equipment and liquid containers and 50 poles for the erection of electricity wires,according to statements by the ship’s commander Jorge Luis Mora Sotomayor to the Juventud Rebelde newspaper.

Mora Sotomayor sent a message of encouragement to the people of the Isle of Youth stressing that they can count on the Revolutionary Navy, and that the whole Cuban people is set to help in the recovery.

The vessel is expected to arrive in Nueva Gerona, Isla de la Juventud, Thursday noon. It is the first of several shipments to be sent by the navy to the island, located 44 miles off Cuba’s mainland south-western coast and considered a special municipality of the country.

Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces Ministry (MINFAR) has been closely involved with the recovery efforts of Pinar del Rio and Isla de la Juventud. Colonel Raul Perez Ramos, Head of MINFAR’s Transportation Department said raw materials for basic industry and engineering equipment and bulldozers have been sent to those territories.

Trucks loaded with roof tiles have also been sent to Pinar del Rio, where nearly 90,000 houses were severely damaged.

“We are willing to assume the internal transportation of the tiles that have been shipped in by train,” said the Colonel.

In the meantime, the Executive National Secretary of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) called on all members of the organization to collect paper and cardboard for lagging materials for the roof tiles.